Sara Cox begins 135-mile Children in Need challenge
Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox has set out on her Great Northern Marathon Challenge, a 135-mile trek from Northumberland to Leeds in support of BBC Children in Need. The journey began this morning in Kielder Forest, marking the station’s longest-ever fundraiser of its kind.
Across five days, Cox will walk and run the full route, carrying the iconic Pudsey Bear from the Scottish border to his namesake town, Pudsey, in Leeds. Crowds gathered early to wish her well, as bagpiper Stuart Todd from the Morpeth Pipe Band performed, and Andrea Foote of Morpeth Riding for the Disabled sounded the starting horn. Even a few curious alpacas were there to see her off.
“I feel more relaxed than I have been for weeks,” Cox told BBC Breakfast, “but my toes are already soggy from the drizzle.”
Her endeavour will take her through Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire, all under her own power—no vehicles, no outside help. Symbolically, the challenge represents carrying Pudsey from the border straight to the heart of his hometown, raising funds and awareness for children across the UK.
“There are loads of people here. Everyone has got their Pudsey ears on. It’s absolutely gorgeous actually. And a man with bagpipes!” she told Scott Mills on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
Listeners can follow her progress live on the official BBC tracker.
Author’s Summary:
Sara Cox embarks on a five-day, 135-mile journey from Kielder Forest to Leeds, carrying Pudsey Bear to raise money and morale for BBC Children in Need.
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- Sara Cox begins 135-mile Children in Need challenge
- Sara Cox is met with alpacas and a bagpiper ahead of 135-mile marathon